Fashion

September 21, 2017

Images are powerful things. As it has been proved time and again, a single image can greatly influence the way we perceive ourselves and others, sometimes changing and sometimes reinforcing what and how we think, whether it be positive or negative or meh. And because we live in a world dominated by visuals, the matter of who controls the creation and presentation of any given image meant for public consumption can be highly significant and, at times, divisive.

Up for current consideration, a fashion photo published on page 25 in the September 2017 issue of Milwaukee Magazine that has rightly enraged the city's Black community and its allies. To be blunt, it is an image so obviously tactless, insensitive and dehumanizing in its composition that, upon initial glance, it should make every thinking human being on the planet join in a shouting chorus of "No, No, No!" or an equivalently clamorous phrase, perhaps laced with a healthy number of swear words.

For those Milwaukee-area residents who have somehow managed to remain unaware of this image and the ongoing controversy it has sparked, the photo depicts a young white woman modeling a minidress, which is fringed with 4,000 plastic cable ties, standing in front of a huge mural of a young Black man dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit. I'm going to recommend that you read that description again and review the image carefully—don't worry, I'll wait—just to make sure all of the offensive implications of this image have fully sunk in to your brain.

The image is one of four included in the Milwaukee Magazine fashion spread entitled A Cut Above and intended to promote the third annual Milwaukee Fashion Week (MFW), which is actually one day short of a working week (September 20-23) if you count the MFW Mingle event that happened last night, and who wouldn't? The spread features the work of four MFW designers: Emily Ristow, Allison Jarrett, Madalyn Manzeck, and Sarah Nasgowitz, the last of whom designed the minidress modeled in the infamous photo.

To her credit, Ms. Nasgowitz did post a private Facebook message—a screenshot of which I received from a source—stating that she was not aware of the photo until after its publication. She also offered her "apologies to those who were offended by the photo." It's a stand-up statement that, posted in its entirety, would be an admirable gesture of solidarity if made public, which I would like to suggest she do.

So how exactly did Milwaukee Magazine end up green-lighting and publishing such a clearly unacceptable photo in what should have been a benign fluff piece on fashion? The story is a deep one—and long one, so bear with me, kids—filled with all kinds of breaches of journalistic protocol and, at its heart, the stubborn presence of white privilege that pervades mainstream media and society at large.

As anyone who has ever picked up an issue of Milwaukee Magazine over the past 25 years knows, its target audience is overwhelmingly white. Though, to be fair, there is some diversity that can be recognized as the great majority of its content appears to be aimed at a broad range of whites, from affluent white suburban dwellers to affluent white urban dwellers. Truth-embedded sarcasm aside, it also publishes news-based articles regularly and investigative pieces on occasion.

Like all old-timey print magazines, Milwaukee Magazine distributes its monthly issues early, which is how local writer, public relations professional and entrepreneur Clarene Mitchell stumbled across the September issue while waiting to give blood to help hurricane victims on August 31. Her reaction to the photo was immediate and justifiable disgust, motivating her to write a brilliant opinion piece detailing why the composition of the image conveyed an abysmal juxtaposition and taking marketing firms to task over their continued lack of staff diversity.

Mitchell's op-ed, first published on LinkedIn, was quickly shared widely on social media and then republished by Milwaukee Independent on September 6. This prompted Milwaukee Magazine's editor-in-chief Carole Nicksin to meet with Mitchell on September 8. Also in attendance at the meeting were Mitchell's husband and business partner Thomas E. Mitchell Jr. and artist Adam Stoner, who had created the mural that was used as a "backdrop" in the magazine's photo.

Stoner's mural, entitled Devontay and located in the Black Cat Alley open-air gallery on the city's East Side, has its own history of controversy, which the artist handled deftly at the time of its unveiling last year and he continues to do so. The work is intended to call attention to the very serious issue of mass incarceration, especially as it occurs in Milwaukee and the State of Wisconsin, which holds the very shameful distinction of having the highest incarceration rate of Black males in the United States. In light of this, Stoner had sent a letter to the magazine prior to meeting, objecting to the mural's use in the photo, stating in part:

"Please be aware that this photo is a deeply inappropriate and tone-deaf use of an artwork meant to condemn mass incarceration. There is nothing cool, trendy, or hip about the suffering of our black and brown neighbors. This photo takes an image of an inmate and makes it the background against which a white woman markets a designer fashion. This is completely unacceptable."

Right on.

As a significant matter of fact, Black Cat Alley and all the murals displayed there are the property of the East Side Business Improvement District (BID). Since any magazine photo shoot is a commercial endeavor, I reached out the organization to ask a few questions. Kristin Godfrey, the relatively new executive director, kindly provided the following statement:

"The East Side BID has been handling commercial photography requests on an as-needed basis since it was opened. The art is all copywrited and the copywrite is owned by the East Side BID. As far as I understand, Milwaukee Magazine did not contact either my predecessor (Jim Plaisted) or any of the East Side BID Board Members for permission… I am currently putting together a more complete commercial photography agreement for consistent execution moving forward as we are excited to have interest in usage of Black Cat Alley but want to ensure that it is used appropriately."

A very good idea indeed.

According to Clarene Mitchell, the in-person meeting with Milwaukee Magazine's Carole Nicksin did not go well. Faced with not just one but three concerned citizens, each with their own vested interest in seeing that the glossy publication be held accountable and that it own its terrible decision, the editor-in-chief—most likely in an ill-advised effort to lighten the mood—coyly insulted Mitchell for bringing an "entourage" with her. Needless to say, things went downhill from there.

After the meeting, on that same day, the magazine published a weakly worded apology on its website, burying it low on the homepage, carrying the ultra vague headline of An Apology. I'm not quite sure how they plan to differentiate the headline of this apology from any another in the future—or perhaps they believe they'll be perfect from now on—but I do know this: If they have any designs to delete this very important albeit lackluster apology at some point, they should be aware that the Internet never forgets and delete never really means deleted. In the interest of driving that fact home, I encourage all you readers to help out by clicking on the link to An Apology. Do it once, twice, maybe even ten times. It's super fun!

With the meeting having provided a very unsatisfactory outcome, the Mitchell wife and husband team appeared on 860 WNOV AM's The Rise and Shine Show with Jermaine Reed on September 11. For those not familiar, WNOV describes itself—as well as its sister station W293CX 106.5 FM—as "Milwaukee's true heritage radio station… [catering] to Milwaukeeans all across the city with relevant and engaging topics that are often ignored by mainstream media." The Rise and Shine Show airs Monday-Thursday, 7:00-9:00AM.

All in all, it was a very productive and honest discussion, covering other questionable publishing decisions made in that particular issue as well as the broader concern over how the Black community is portrayed in mainstream media. I highly recommend that everyone watch and listen to it here, especially white folks.

During the radio interview and call-in discussion, the couple described their meeting with Nicksin in detail. Apparently, the editor-in-chief admitted outright that Milwaukee Magazine does not employ any Black staff members or other people of color—okay, admission of an unpleasant fact is the first step to recognizing that you have a problem and that's a good thing. She then went on to say that the reason is because, through the methods (i.e. using websites that cater to journalism job seekers and employers) and standards (i.e. requiring past experience in magazine work specifically) that the publication has traditionally used, it simply hasn't been able to find qualified, diverse candidates in Milwaukee—ooh, admitting that you haven't really tried to explore all avenues to fix the problem and then claiming that the fault rests with others is always a very, very bad thing.

At a different point in the interview, Clarene talked about what she believes would be the right way for Milwaukee Magazine to truly apologize and show a real commitment to the Black community and other people of color as a part of the larger community, and it is something she also brought up to me when we sat down to compare notes on the issue. Though she admits herself that is perhaps a radical idea, Mitchell would like to see all copies the September 2017 issue removed from the physical and online shelves, for as long as they are there and available for purchase the photo remains an insult. And to that idea, radical as it may be, I give my hearty endorsement. I would allow the magazine to archive two print issues and one digital, ya know, so we can all marvel at them in the future and see how things were before the end of racism.

It should be noted here that John Kowalkowski, member of the Milwaukee Fashion Week (MFW) board, did call in to the show, displaying a graceful humility and sincerity that Nicksin could learn a lot from. On-air, Kowalkowski extended the organization's "sincerest apologies for that image being portrayed in the magazine," stating that MFW "did not have anything to do with that photo shoot" and outlining the organization's commitment to engaging the city's diverse cultures. His phone call and statement, which is largely reiterated in a post on the MFW Facebook page, was welcomed by all in the studio.

Let's just pause here to point out that MFW is yet another party that, as matter of professionalism, should have been notified and consulted about the photo shoot, and could have possibly stopped the publishing—maybe even the taking—of the photo, but simply wasn't. That's what we in the biz call breaches of journalistic protocol.

On September 12, the day after the Mitchells appeared on The Rise and Shine Show with Jermaine Reed, Milwaukee Magazine's editor-in-chief made her appearance on the same program, sitting down with the same host. While we can certainly commend Nicksin for her willingness to show up and face the discord, her performance was, well, let's break it down, shall we?

After Reed gave an introduction of his guest and a short synopsis of the controversy over the photo, Nicksin issued an additional apology, saying the initial statement on the website "in retrospect, perhaps it didn't go far enough" and that she is "well aware that we have the highest rate of incarceration for Black males in this state," characterizing the publication of the photo as a "major, major oversight."

Reed began the meat of interview by referencing another piece in the September issue, entitled The Notorious B.M.A. (a.k.a. Big Money Addicts), written by senior editor Matt Rhrodey, in order to discuss the overall concern of how Black men in particular are represented in the magazine. The article focuses on the criminal deeds of a North Side Milwaukee gang—B.M.A.—the leaders of which are four Black men. It's a fairly salacious, borderline tabloid, long-form story, with the author awkwardly throwing in the odd "street" term within the text. Mugshots of the four gang leaders are also featured prominently in the piece. Who knows, maybe they can get a reprint in The National Enquirer.

In response, Nicksin rattled off some positive articles the magazine has published in the recent past about various Black individuals and other people of color as well as subjects about and of concern and interest to the Black community. These facts are true, but her tone was a bit dismissive and somewhat defensive.

Nicksin was given the opportunity to address the utter lack of racial diversity on the Milwaukee Magazine staff when a caller wanted to hear about her plan to make the publication more fairly reflective of the community. The editor-in-chief chose to begin her response with a preamble, saying:

"I have to say, not in defense, but to fairly represent my staff, there are other types of diversity. There's religious diversity, there's gender diversity, and there's also, most importantly, diversity of opinion."

Nope, not relevant.

She did finally get to the question asked, however, by stating that she intendeds to reach out to the National Association of Black Journalists and other groups that advocate on behalf of people of color in professional media. And to that we say please do, but also make sure that local media professionals are included in the magazine's search. Here's a Facebook video of a couple of local professionals in which they list a fair number of writers, editors and other media types (beginning at 8:07) who live and work right here in Milwaukee. Homework is hard, but necessary.

There's just one more matter I'd like to call attention to in the Nicksin interview. On two separate occasions she referenced the fact that, a year and half ago, she came to Milwaukee from New York City, where, apparently, "integration is just a given" and she "worked with very diverse staffs" and "took it for granted that we all looked for jobs in the same [places]."

Firstly, I would like to direct Ms. Nicksin to the 2016 American Society of News Editors (ASNE) Diversity Survey, focused on daily print and online-only organizations. While Milwaukee Magazine is a monthly publication, these stats are transferable with a negligible margin of error. The survey found that minorities as a whole—including all women—make up only 16.94% of the overall workforce. And out of that, Black professionals make up only 5.33%, with Hispanics faring similarly and other people of color coming in even lower. That's nationwide, in the United States, where I believe both Milwaukee and New York City are located, so while it may be possible to have a perception of working "with very diverse staffs" the reality is a far cry from the level of diversity that we should all be experiencing.

Secondly, to say that "integration is just a given" anywhere in the U.S.—even in cosmopolitan NYC—is a textbook example of white privilege. Yes, there are places where integration rates are better and Milwaukee is the highest rated city when it comes to segregation, but we are in no way alone in this racial dysfunction. One need only read or watch or listen to the news to know that oppression and discrimination based on race, which is the cornerstone of segregation, is everywhere, therefore, integration cannot be taken for granted anywhere or by anyone.

Okay, so where does Milwaukee Magazine go from here? Here are my suggestions:

1. Hire Diversity. Numbers Count. Hire new staff members and build a pool of contributors consisting of many people of color at different levels of authority immediately.

2. Hire Local. There is simply no good reason to require that job candidates have experience specifically in the magazine industry. Writers are writers, photographers are photographers, graphics folks are graphics folks. They are professionals, they are flexible, and they will learn on the job quickly if they have to. Besides, it's the editor's job to make sure they do.

3. Abide By Journalistic Protocol. Ensure that all parties who have a vested interest in an event and/or other subject matter that you want to cover or promote are contacted and consulted. That is your professional duty and, while there is no guarantee, they may just stop you from a making a very, very bad decision.

5. Do Not Attempt To Control The Conversation. There has been mention of Milwaukee Magazine hosting a panel discussion on this subject and larger related issues in the near future. I suggest that you have another entity, one with experience in this area, organize and host this event. You have lost credibility with a significant portion of the community and you will not be fully trusted. You should, of course, offer to foot the bill for the event.

6. Do The Work And Listen. White people at Milwaukee Magazine and everywhere, no matter how liberal, in-touch or woke—as the young people say—you think you are, it's not enough. You must keep educating yourself, you must keep working on yourself, but most importantly you must listen to people of color. Remember, no one person is ever a full representative of their group and no group is a monolith, so do the work to find different sources of insight to which you can listen and from which you can learn. From books written by intellectuals who are people of color to Black Twitter, the world is your teacher so go get yourselves an education.

I have some other suggestions, but I think I've made my point. Okay, here's to doing the work!

January 21, 2016

For the intellectually curious and the infinitely patient among you, the results of the survey I recruited y'all to take waaay back in November are now available for download here. Well hot diggity, we can hardly believe it, right? Yup diggity.

As some may recall, the survey was designed to examine the relationship between social media network communication and the development of artistic collaboration. Also, it was created to get me some Stats learnin' credits to apply toward the long-delayed completion of my BA in Comparative Literature. So how did I/you/we do? I/you/we got an A, people, so nice work!

Anyhoo, the results are presented in the standard APA style of a quantitative study. While the prospect of reading an academic paper may sound comparable to the oh-so pleasurable experience of eating sand, this one's not that bad—really, I swear. Plus it's about art and you love art, so there's that.

A sincere and heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated and shared the invitation with others! In the most literal way possible, I could not have done it with you. Hooray for Us!

As most of you have no idea, I was recently accepted back as a student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) after a decision of I'll-just-take-a-semester-off somehow turned into I'll-just-take-12-years-off—HA! The goal? To once and for all finish up my degree in Comparative Literature. Shout-out to the Comp Lit Geeks!

Anyhoo, one of the required joys of this educational process is the successful completion of a Stats class—Yuck! While I hold all Masters o' Math in very high regard, working with numerals is not my greatest strength. Happily though, I have been afforded the opportunity to turn Yuck! into Yay! by focusing my individual research on the subject I love best: Art in all its forms.

With that in mind, I have created a survey examining the relationship between social media network communication and the development of artistic collaboration. Interesting, no? Yes!

Artists of any and all disciplines are invited to take part, so if you're one of those CLICK HERE!

And, because I know y'all are curiouser than the curiousest cats on the planet, results will be posted on this here blog once the data analysis is compete.

Rest assured, all of your responses will be kept strictly confidential. No individual participant will ever be identified with his/her answers. Added Bonus: It should only take about 15-20 minutes.

Take the survey now! Also, share this with your artsy friends so they can join in the statistical fun!

January 30, 2013

Throughout the centuries, high fashion has suffered mightily from what can only be described as acute cases of silliness, disfunction and waste. Take the ginormous, neck-straining wigs so popular with the French royal woman in the late 1700s--twas not so much work by the time the guillotine got its way. Or the layers and layers of petticoats worn under ball gowns in the Victorian era--each set enough to clothe a small village and all its draft horses, too.

Now, the existence of these and many other atrocious examples does not mean that what we drape over our naked, vulnerable selves should simply be functional and boring, conveying a level of visual appeal about as hot as a potato sack, but isn't there some way we can make high fashion more relevant and less wasteful? Huh? Isn't there?

Funny you/me/we should ask because Milwaukee's art incubator RedLine has just put out the word that it's looking for fashion designers, artists and students to apply for its 3rd Annual RePurposed Runway Design Competition. You read that right, kids--each outfit must be made from stuff that's lived a previous life but now yearns to "find itself" in the exciting world of Fashion with a capital F!

Here's what you need to submit:• Name, Address, Home Phone, Cell Phone and Email Address.

• 2-3 .jpg images--either on CD or free floating within the email ether--of recent samples of garments you've made, created from recycled materials or not. FYI, if you send a CD you ain't gonna get it back, so don't burn a copy of your encrypted fashion manifesto on it and cheerily delete it from your computing device, 'kay?

• Designer/Artist statement describing your work. Keep it under 500 words 'cause nobody needs to hear your "inspiration" story about when you saw Kirstie Alley in a muumuu and you knew it in your bones that you could find a way to squeeze her into a plus size, bullet cup corset with fabulous results.

• Idea for your garment for this year's competition.

The theme is Environment And Water, so ya know you'll be able to come up with something that just screams, "I'm sustainable and transparent!"

December 02, 2010

Bras. Most women on the planet wear 'em--or some facsimile of 'em--because, despite the self-indulgent fantasies of those who don't, they're a practical necessity that keep us females comfy and pain free. This, of course, does not mean these garments--known in some quarters as over-the-shoulder-boulder-holders--can't be sexy or artsy or fun.

In this spirit, one of Miltown's sassy erotic boutiques, A Woman's Touch (AWT), has put out the call for submissions to its Uplifting Art: Bras For A Cause contest and fundraising event. Haha! Anybody else just have a crazy, mind-melting flashback to the old Playtex Cross Your Heart Bra ads? No? Well, you're either too young or you've somehow succeeded in avoiding the omnipresent influence of modern advertising and should book yourself on a nationwide tour posthaste so that you may teach others your magical secret.

Anyhoo, as is our custom and right here at CricketToes, we shall post no call for art that does not pay and/or give loads of goodness to others who need it. As it happens, Uplifting Art fits snugly and securely--hehe!--into the latter category as proceeds from the contest and silent auction will benefit ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis, a very worthy organization located in West Allis that provides free information and one-to-one support to anyone affected by breast cancer.

Okay, so what kind of art are they looking for, you may well ask. Since we began this post unabashedly making mention of a particular type of unmentionable, what would be your best guess? Righto, super smart peeps, it's bras! And not your grandma's could-fit-a-small-child-in-each-cup brassieres, but those created special for this event and made from whatever materials ya fancy--although nothing you'd ever find in a compost pile, please. Deadline is January 9, 2011.

Interested? Go here for more info, to download an entry form and see some examples of art bras. As Amy Moore, AWT's Milwaukee Outreach Coordinator, expressed to me in an email, "Although the ones depicted [online] are all bra-based, we are open to a variety of media if the submission fits our theme for the exhibit," so feel free to liberate your mind--and whatever else is bindin' ya--so you can make great art to support a greater good!

May 13, 2010

As you no doubt recall, art incubator RedLine Milwaukee hosted an event filled with bright lights and fancy fashions as a part of its official "soft" opening weekend last September. Well Friday night they're gonna do it all again--this time with Spring on their minds and bodies--and you're invited!

Designed to raise funds for RedLine's varied and fantastic artsy programs, the 2nd Annual Fashion Show will feature Bruce Paul Goodman's vision of what's now, what's happenin' and what's hip for your edification and beautification. Watch in bedazzled amazement while enjoying free pizza and a bit o' the bubbly.

Once you've witnessed Goodman's parade of charming frocks and habiliments--15th century words are the new black, don't cha know--you'll have some powerful inspiration to create and print your own t-shirt, which you will then proudly sport around town, saying, "Yeah, I know I look good."

The show starts at 6PM sharp and runs until 9PM on Friday, May 14, at RedLine, 1422 N. 4th Street. Tickets are just $25 a pop and I have it on ultimate authority that there's still a few left, so buy yours online now or call Lynn at 414-491-9089.

April 09, 2010

Word has come from Switzerland that Malcolm McLaren, Punk's most adept and manipulative architect, died yesterday at the age of 64.

Equal parts visionary artist, tireless promoter, exploitative control freak and cold fish, McLaren managed a slew of bands in the 70s and 80s, including Adam and the Ants, New York Dolls, Bow Wow Wow and, most famously, The Sex Pistols--a band he not only created but also helped to destroy.

For many of us who watched McLaren's shameless and powerful dance of Life As Art, his uncanny ability to utilize provocation as a means to shock and scam The Man, attracting the disenfranchised and angry youth of a crumbling Western society, and somehow making it pay, well, we simply stood in awe.

But the ruthless and callous methods he sometimes employed to achieve this art, operating as if unaware that the players he directed were actual human beings, could not be ignored and made us feel hollow and empty.

There is no doubt that McLaren's influence and impact on the music and entertainment world was monumental, but his death leaves us no less conflicted and no closer to a satisfactory understanding of the artist or the man.

March 04, 2010

As we all should've learned in elementary school, the time it takes for the light of a distant star to reach us here on Earth is mind-blowingly huge. And so it is that the mere act of gazing upon celestial bodies places us in a cosmic time machine in which we see the stars as they once were and not as they are today.

In the frantic realm of The Internets™, however, one minute is equal to one light year, so when ya run across something that's been up for five years and documents a period from some three decades ago it's like looking at the brilliance of a star located an eternity away.

Just such a stunning experience happened to me last week when I stumbled upon Andy Rosen's "London Punks 1976-1984" photostream on Flickr, uploaded in 2005. Seeing as y'all know I cannot tell a lie, let me just say that I was so amazed and delighted to find these images that I nearly fell off my oh-so comfy chair!

Presented in all their fantastically dark and brooding glory are The Clash, Paul Weller of The Jam, Dave Vanian of The Damned, Glenn Gregory of Heaven 17, David Sylvian and Richard Barbieri of Japan, Johnny Rotten--band name not necessary--Siouxsie Sioux without the Banshees, Steve Strange, Midge Ure of Ultravox, Specimen, and my all-time favs Peter Murphy and David J of Bauhaus.

Just who in the hell are these musical/cultural rebels of a bygone era? If ya don't know, take Mom's advice and look it up!

Ah, good times, kids, good times. Reminds me a punk rock girl I used to know very, very well:

Each member of the triad skillfully demonstrates a strong visual style unique unto themselves, as can be witnessed on their respective websites linked above, and will be on hand at the opening reception this very evening at Caggio, 918 East Brady Street, from 5-9PM.

If ya find yourself trapped with your art apathetic in-laws/cronies and just can't get away, you've got until October 14, 2009, to see the show.

2. Art incubator RedLine Milwaukee is holding its official "soft" opening this weekend and tonight's happening includes a phashion--only boring folks spell it with an "f"--show with models traipsing down the runway in outfits from Bruce Paul Goodman clothier. Also, Susanne Carter will present some movement pieces and video installations by Anthony Lopez and Jon Salimes will be on display for your enjoyment.

It all starts at 6PM at 1422 N 4th Street. A $20 door donation is requested.

And don't forget to stop by tomorrow for a fancy free event from 4-9PM, featuring a coming-out party for RedLine's Resident Artist debutantes and a plethora of other nutty artsy types walkin' around in their own wearable art. In addition, there's an Open House from 12-4PM on Sunday.

August 27, 2009

I recently received an email announcing that the soon to open art incubator RedLine Milwaukee had put out a call for artists to apply for several human mobile art displayer positions for their "soft" opening event on Saturday, September 19, 2009 and right off the bat I thought of you! That's actually a compliment cleverly disguised as a you-remind-of-a-blank-wall dig.

So what they're seeking are local Miltown artists who can come in from 6-9PM that night and strut around wearing their creations for the enjoyment of all in attendance. Beyond the fact that you should be able to wear it, they were nonspecific about what kind of art it should be, so if you've got a painting that would look just divine with that matching cable-knit sweater/skirt ensemble your Aunty bought ya last year and ya can figure out a way to hang on your bod, go for it!

Click here to download the application. Deadline is September 1--that's next Tuesday--so get clickin'!